If you’re feeling discourage, know there is hope for an equal future. The following actions can help reduce the stigma around salary discussions and encourage your company to be more supportive of female workers.
Employees can have open discussions about salary with their coworkers
To promote equal pay, we must have transparent conversations about salary with our peers. Society has made us believe that discussing wages is rude, but that needs to change.
Start talking to your co-workers to see what they make compared to you. Some may be uncomfortable with the discussion, so you may start with your most trusted colleagues and work up to others. If you notice a disparity, you can make a plan to discuss a raise with your boss.
Both men and women can benefit from discussing salary. Women can’t bear the brunt of the work; male allies can step up and work to correct any gender wage gaps within their companies.
Companies can invest in training and promoting women leaders
White men dominate C-suites around the world. In 2021, 86% of Fortune 500 CEOs were white men, according to data gathered by the Society for Human Resource Management. To help women get ahead and succeed like their male colleagues, companies can provide resources to women to help them advance in their careers.
Offering opportunities such as leadership training sessions and special projects to women can help them grow in the workplace. Companies should also ensure women know they’re encouraged to apply for promotions when available.
Companies can adopt practices that don’t disadvantage women who take maternity leave
A 2018 Harvard Business Review study found that women taking longer maternity leaves faced a disadvantage when returning to work. Employers often overlook women who take extended maternity leave for promotions and pay raises. These women may even be fired or demoted. Luckily, the study had some recommendations companies can implement to counteract this.
First, managers can write recommendation letters for women applying for promotions. Letters should list the woman’s accomplishments and strengths, projects she has worked on, and their outcomes. A recommendation like this can help counteract the extended maternity leave gap on the woman’s resume to give her an equal chance with other applicants.
Second, companies can consider a “keep-in-touch” policy. These policies have been tested in Canada and Australia and proved effective. When a woman takes lengthy maternity leave, the company designates an employee to stay in touch and update her on projects, clients, and coworkers. This policy is relatively new but could be helpful for a company to support women’s careers.
Companies can be more flexible with their employees to support working parents
Women might lose their jobs due to inflexible scheduling. Mothers may find it hard (if not impossible) to find reliable childcare if they have an unpredictable work schedule. The gender wage gap can become more pronounced when these women leave the workforce.
Employers can be more flexible regarding scheduling and time off – especially for female employees with children. Some states and cities already have legislation to give workers the right to request flexibility from their employers. Companies across the country can look into adding similar flexibility for their employees, even if not required by law.
